Four The Instructor
by TheBraveKat
Summary: From the moment Tris Prior arrives in Dauntless, Four feels a connection. Divergent in Four's POV. (I will add more chapters upon request, I am just seeing how this first one goes.) :)
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters from Divergent.

Chapter 1; Tobias POV

I wake to the sound of Lauren knocking on my apartment door.

"Four, the initiates will be here any minute! You'd better be by the net and ready by the time the first jumper arrives or I'll have to tell Eric on you!" She playfully says.

I can hear the sound of her feet walking away and assume that she is going to get ready to greet the first jumper. I don't really feel up to training the transfers this year. I'd rather not be reminded of any part of my past. Odds are, I won't have any abnegation transfers to deal with this year. We hardly ever get any from that faction. I was the last transfer they've had. The last "Stiff". I cringe even thinking about that word. It is rather degrading, but why should I care? I am Dauntless now. Faction before blood, Jeanine always says.

I sit up on the side of my bed and slide on my shoes. I brush my teeth and put on the same black shirt I wore yesterday and my Dauntless instructor jacket.

"Time to get into 'Four' mode.." I tell myself.

I leave my apartment and start heading towards the pit first to meet up with Zeke. It's odd having friends, especially being from Abnegation, because we aren't allowed to discuss our lives or ourselves. You never get the opportunity to know people. I kind of miss that, but in Dauntless, I unfortunately have to deal with a lot of people. There are no rules here. Zeke is one of the few people in this faction that I can tolerate. I see him laughing with Shauna and she playfully punches him in the arm.

"Four! What the hell man? You're supposed to be at the net already." he says with a look of amusement in his eyes.

"I'm headed there now. You and Shauna want to come with? I need someone there to make sure I don't end up strangling Eric before the initiates even get here." I say, trying to hold back a grin. Before Zeke can even answer, Shauna opens her mouth,

"Yes! Although, I'd love to see someone finally put that pig in his place. Zeke and I are betting on who the first jumper is going to be. I think my sister is going to be first, but of course he says Uriah. What do you think?"

"I guess we will find out." I say as I turn to head for the net.

We stand there, surrounded by other Dauntless members. I block everyone out and focus on what I hear from up above. I can barely make out Max's voice and then there is someone else. I look around, surprised that I don't see Eric and then I realize that he is up there with the initiates. I'm just about to walk back over to Zeke and Shauna when I see a familiar flash out of the corner of my eye. I look into the net and see a small girl covered in the familiar grey clothing that I once wore. Abnegation. She breaths heavily and her eyes flicker open. She looks around and then starts laughing. I see a hand reach out to grab her and I realize that I've started moving closer and am standing there, looking into her eyes with my hand holding her arm. A wave of electricity goes through my body and I try and suppress my surprise.

"What's your name?" I manage to choke out. She looks at me and I can already see the fire burning brightly in her eyes.

"Bea.. uh.." She stutters.

"Think about it, you don't get to pick again." I say, trying to keep my voice from shaking.

"Tris.. My name is Tris." she says, sounding slightly unsure of the name she's chosen.

"First jumper, Tris!" I yell. The announcement is followed by hoots and hollers from the other Dauntless members. I look at Zeke and he seems to be thinking the same thing I do. Who is this girl? I put my hand on her lower back and lean in closely,

"Welcome to Dauntless, Tris" I say, letting her name linger on the tip of my tongue. She grins at me and joins the others as we wait for the rest of the initiates to jump.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2-

I look at all the faces of the new initiates we have. Some stick out to me and others I worry about becoming factionless. They all stare back at Lauren and I, waiting to see what will happen next. I take a deep breath, trying to avoid meeting Tris's gaze.

"Dauntless born, you will be training with Lauren! You won't be needing a tour of the place so after she gives instructions, you may report to dinner! Transfers, you're with me. Let's go." I yell.

The initiates shuffle in behind me and I see the Dauntless born follow Lauren eagerly. I smile her way and then quickly snap back into instructor mode. I can't let the initiates see that side of me.

"Listen up initiates! My name is Four and I," before I could finish, a short girl with dark cropped hair opened up her mouth.

"Four? Like the number? What happened? One through three were taken?" She laughs.

I can already tell which faction she came from. Candor. I catch Tris staring at me.

"What's your name, initiate?" I say while keeping my eyes fixed on the transfer that rudely interrupted me.

"Christina." she says.

"Well, Christina.. If I wanted to put up with Candor smart mouths, I would have joined their faction." I say and she immediately backs down from my gaze.

"The first thing you will learn from me is that if you want to survive, you keep you mouth shut!" I snap.

The initiates all nod their heads in unison. Except Tris. I ignore her stare and start heading towards the Pit.

As soon as I turn around I hear Christina whisper, "What a jerk!"

Then a soft voice whispers back, "Maybe he doesn't like to be laughed at." I think that was Tris. I don't know and I don't really care right now.

"This is the Pit! This is where you will be learning how to fight! For the next few weeks, you will report here every morning at 7. No later, or you can consider yourself 'Factionless'" I say, trying to make my voice sound as serious as possible.

"Next, I'll show you the Chasm.." I say as I turn on my heels to walk the other direction. I hear the roaring of the water crashing to the bottom of the Chasm. I see Eric sitting by the railing as soon as I get there. I try not to let my anger show in front of the initiates, but I can't help it when I feel my hands clench into a fist.

"This is the Chasm. It's one of the most beautiful places here in Dauntless, but also one of the most dangerous. It reminds us that there is a fine line between bravery and idiocy. One dare-devil jump off the edge will lead to your imminent death. Don't be stupid. You aren't proving anything." I say. I quickly see Christina gulp in fear.

All the initiates stand there in awe. As I size them all up, I can already tell which ones I will have to keep an eye on. The tall one in the back, I'm assuming he is from Candor, worries me with the way he eyes Tris.

"Hey Stiff, if you jump now, maybe you won't have to worry about living with the factionless later!" Peter says.

I roll my eyes and make my way towards the bunks where they will be staying.

"Alright. This is where you will be sleeping for the next few weeks. All of you. You each have been given a new set of initiate clothing that you will be expected to wear. Get changed and then head to the dining hall in five minutes! You're dismissed." I say.

I turn my back to the initiates and head to the dining hall to find Zeke and Shauna. Training hasn't even started, but I'm already irritated with the initiates. Hopefully, I was strict enough so that they don't end up antagonizing Eric. I can't help them once he's involved.

I walk into the dining hall and grab a tray. I find a seat at a table with Zeke and Shauna. I eat my food in silence as I try not to listen to them talk about the initiates this year.

"Four! Earth to Four!" Zeke says while snapping his fingers in my face.

"What?" I say sounding more hostile than I meant.

"Dang man. Sorry you interrupt your little day-dream, but Shauna and I both thought that it was weird that a STIFF jumped first." He said.

"Yeah, that is weird. Wouldn't have expected that to happen in a million years. Maybe there will be a new Dauntless legend around to steal all the glory. You worried Four?" Shauna says with a teasing look in her eyes.

"Nope. She won't even make it past stage one dude! She is scrawny!" Zeke replies.

Just as I go to defend her, five initiates sit down at the table with us. I look up and see Tris right next to me. Christina, Will, Al, and Uriah join her. Uriah keeps looking her up and down as if he is interested in her. This makes me uneasy and I don't know why. I shake off the feeling.

"What is this?" Tris says as she pokes at the hamburger patty with her fork.

"It's beef. Put this on it." I say as I hand her a bottle of ketchup.

"You've never eaten a hamburger before?" Christina says, elbowing Tris in the arm.

"Stiff's eat plain food." I say. I hate using the word stiff, but if I didn't, it could give away the fact that I was from Abnegation.

"Why?" Christina replies.

Before I can say anything, Tris looks up from the hamburger and says very matter of factly, "Extravagance is consider self-indulgent and unnecessary."

"Now I see why you left." Christina says.

I expect Tris to get annoyed at such an ignorant comment, but she doesn't.

"Yeah, that's why I left. Because of the food." Tris replies.

I am immediately impressed. She has a sense of humor. I look away from Tris to catch Shauna and Zeke staring at me with wide eyes. They must have seen me looking at her.

Just as I take a sip of my drink, I hear Eric's voice and suddenly all the muscles in my face tense up.

"Max is looking for you.. Says he needs to discuss something with you." he says, not bothering to hide the annoyance in his voice.

"Tell him I'm not interested." I reply.

"So am I right in assuming he was offering you a job?" He says.

"Yes, and I have declined numerous times." I say before taking another gulp of my drink.

Eric rolls his eyes and says "Well let's hope he gets the point."

Before he leaves, he looks at everyone at the table and his eyes land on Tris.

"Hey, who's this?" he says. Obviously talking about her.

"My name's Tris." She says without any hesitation. Eric's eyes open wide with amusement.

"Right, the stiff. You're the first jumper. Well, enjoy Dauntless while you can. Stiff's never last here." He says.

I can already feel my blood starting to boil and my face gets hot. Eric was in the same initiate class I was in. I beat him and ranked first. He's never been able to let it go.

I look at Tris and can tell that she wants to speak up. She meets my gaze and I hope she understands the warning in the look I give her. Don't challenge Eric. Please. I won't be able to stop what he does to you. She seems to have caught on and lowers her head in defeat.

I turn back to Eric and he laughs.

"Later Four." He says as he turns to walk away.

"Are you friends with him?" Christina blurts out.

I see Shauna and Zeke look at me with concern. They know I don't like Eric. At all.

"No. He was in the same initiation year as me. He transferred from Erudite." I say, wanting that to be the end of the discussion. I take another sip of my drink. Trying to get the memories to leave my mind.

"Were you a transfer too?" Tris asks.

I look at her, bewildered by the fact that this little girl from Abnegation asks more questions than her Candor friend. Zeke and Shauna are smiling. Clearly they're amused by Tris's boldness.

"What makes you think you can talk to me?" I snap at her, expecting her to coil back in fear.

I'm completely taken back by what she does next. Instead of looking away, she meets my gaze head on.

"It must be because you're so approachable. You know. Like a bed of nails." She says.

Zeke and Shauna try to suppress their laughs, but they can't hold back the giggles that escape their throats. I look at Tris and I can see the life in her eyes. She's different. I don't know why, but there is something so intriguing about her.

"Careful, Tris." I whisper as I lean in closer.

I get up to go throw away my tray and just before I'm out of ear's reach, I hear Christina whisper "You my friend.. have a death wish."

Immediately Will, Uriah, Al, and Christina start laughing hysterically.

I dump my tray and head back to my apartment for the night. I can feel Tris staring at me as I leave.


	3. Chapter 3

My eyes fling open to the sound off my alarm buzzing.

Fighting day. It's time for the initiates to show us what they're made of. I worry about some of the smaller ones. Especially Tris. Peter, Will, Al, Edward, and Molly are the ones that I'm sure will do fine today.

I swing my legs over the side of the bed and stretch out my arms. I walk over to the bathroom and undress. I look at the person before me in the mirror, taking in every detail. I remember when that person had no muscle tone and wouldn't even meet his own gaze in the mirror. What happened to him?

I left him in Abnegation.

I step into the shower and feel the hot beads of water pounding against my back.

Breathe, I tell myself. Just breathe.

I know that today is going to send me over the top. I can't lose control. Not in front of Eric. Not in front of the initiates.

I get out of the shower and immediately put on my clothes. I wear the same familiar black shirt with my black pants and Dauntless instructor jacket. I look scary. I look tough. I look like Four. The instructor.

I brush my teeth and then I check my watch before I leave.

6:25. Just enough time to grab a muffin and head to the pit to warm up alone.

I head to the dining hall. Zeke and Shauna see me, but obviously can tell what kind of mood I'm in because they don't invite me to sit with them at the table. I don't want to anyways. I just need to be alone.

I grab myself the first muffin I see and bite a piece off as I walk towards the pit.

As I enter the pit, the familiar smell of sweat fills my nostrils. I have spent so much time in this place. It is the one of the only areas in the dauntless compound that I feel comfortable in.

I toss my muffin in the trash can and walk towards one of the punching bags suspended from the ceiling. I start throwing a combination of punches. The bag swings back and forth as I hit it with as much force as I can. I kick and punch until my knuckles begin to split open. I feel a sharp stinging pain and I notice that my knuckles are already starting to bruise.

As I turn around, I see Tris standing there, quietly observing me. I meet her gaze for only a moment. Suddenly all of the other initiates start filing in and her face is lost among the crowd.

I wipe the palms of my hands on my pants and begin.

"Today, you will be learning how to fight. Each of you will be paired up with a partner and you will fight each other on the mat." I breathe deeply before continuing, "After each fight, you will be scored according to technique and obviously, by winning. At the end of each stage of training, your scores will be posted and the lowest ranking initiates between both dauntless-born and transfers will be cut."

"Excuse me, but I don't think I heard you right. Did you say 'cut'?" Christina asks.

"Yes, cut." I say.

"Why didn't anyone tell us?!" she says. Before I can respond, Eric stands up and walks to the front of the room.

"It's a new rule. It doesn't matter anyways. If you are truly dauntless, you won't care if you might fail. You chose us and now we get to choose you." He says.

I look at him smirking at Tris. He must be thinking that she will be the first to go. He might be right.

"Alright. I will be demonstrating different combinations of punches and kicks. Also, I will teach you different tactics to use while in a fight. Pay close attention because you'll only see this once." I mutter before I turn to the punching bag.

I repeat the movements over and over without even having to think about doing them. I've done this so many times that it's as easy as counting to three.

Before I know it, the initiates are paired up, practicing the new techniques against each other. I observe each of them carefully.. Easily spotting each of their strengths and weaknesses. Al is slow, but he is powerful. Will is quick, but he doesn't have a lot of skill. Christina is quick and strong, but she doesn't block well. Molly is clumsy, but dangerous. Edward looks like he knows what he is doing. Peter, I hate to admit, is good. I'll have to keep an eye on him.

And then there's Tris. She is quick. Her small frame makes it easy for her to move around, but she has no strength. I go up to her and watch her closely.

"You're weak. You have no upper body strength.. You'll never win that way." I say harsher than I'd like. I know Eric is watching, so I have to be careful.

"Thanks for the encouragement.." Tris replies. I can tell that she's aggravated with me. She doesn't give up though and she punches with even more force than before.

"Keep tension here I say." As I press my hand to her lower back. I forget she is from Abnegation, but the discomfort in her face from my touch tells me she still has an Abnegation wired brain. I let my hand linger longer than I should have and end up dropping back to my side. I turn and head back to the front of the room and hear her let out a gasp of air. I guess I must have scared her.

The first few fights go by quickly and the results are as expected.

Edward, Al, and Molly win each of their fights. Tris was exempt from today because of the uneven number of transfers. That's not good. She needs al the practice she can get.

I dismiss the initiates for lunch and tell them to meet back later for knife throwing. We are going to take a break from the fighting, which is fine by me.

Lunch flies by. Before I know it, I'm back in the pit listening to the familiar clanks of the knives falling to the ground. I turn and face my own target in front of me.

Breath.

Aim.

Throw.

And just like that, each of my knives hit the center of the target.

I turn to see Eric watching each of the initiates throw. None off them seem to be making them stick. I look at Tris and notice she hasn't even thrown one yet. She is going through the motions.

Eric must have noticed to because he looks at me and says "I think the stiff forgot what a knife is!"

She must've heard the comment because she picks up the knife in her hand and aims at the target. I see her go through the same exact steps as I do.

Breath.

Aim.

Throw.

And just like that, Tris is the first to hit the target.

Eric lifts his eyebrows in surprise and walks on to the next initiate.

I look at Tris just long enough to see her grin with satisfaction.

All of the initiates seem to be doing just fine now, except for Al. He has yet to hit a target.

I turn back to my target and block everyone out. I continue practicing hitting the target until I feel everyone's eyes on me.

"Four, can you give me a hand here?" Eric says with and evil smirk on his face. I look up and see Al standing in front of the target and I know what I have to do.

I pick up four knives and walk in front of Al.

"I want you to stand there while Four throws these knives. If you flinch, you're out!" Eric says.

I can see the panic in Al's eyes.

I try to focus and remain calm. I know I won't hit him, but Eric will only be satisfied if I get as close as possible.

I take my stance and get ready to go through the motions.

Breath.

Aim.

"Stop!" I hear a familiar voice yell. I turn around and of course Tris has walked to the front to face Eric and I. God. What is she thinking?

"Anyone can stand in front of a target. It doesn't prove anything except for what a bully you are. And bullying is a sign of cowardice." She says.

"Fine, then it should be easy for you to take his place" Eric replies.

I watch Tris as she walks to replace Al in front of the target. He sighs with relief.

"Same rules apply!" Eric shouts.

I meet Tris's gaze. She doesn't look afraid. She takes a deep breath and stands there.

I look directly into her eyes as I feel the first knife being released from my hand.

She didn't even blink.

I grab the second knife and aim again. This time, I hit close to her arm.

"You done yet Stiff?" I tease her. Hoping that she knows I am doing this to make her stronger, not to be mean.

"No!" she yells.

I release the third knife and it strikes the target, right above her head. A lock of blonde hair falls to the ground by her feet.

"Eyes on me, Stiff!" I yell.

As long as I look into her eyes, I know I won't hurt her. I need her to look at me.

Her eyes flutter open and her face is filled with disgust. She hates me. I can see it.

I throw the last knife, just barely grazing her ear.

I hear everyone gasp and I know that my job here is done.

"Points for bravery Stiff! Not as many as you just lost for opening your mouth. We are training soldiers here, not rebels!" Eric yells.

The initiates follow Eric out of the room, but Tris remains standing in front of the target.

"You cut me.." she whispers.

"I meant to." I say.

"You meant to?" She snaps back at me.

I look up at her and I can see that she's upset.

I wasn't trying to hurt her. That is the last thing I want to do. I see the electricity in her eyes, it's as if she has just been woken up.

"If I wanted to hurt you, I would have Tris... Are you okay?" I say, my voice comes out soft.

"Yeah. I'm fine." She says as she drops her head and turns to walk away.

Something in me says that I should go after her. To stop her.

But now is not the time.

She will learn sooner or later that I am one of the only people here in Dauntless that she can trust.


	4. Chapter 4

_I look around me. Where am I? I recognize this room for some reason, but I don't know where it's from. I take in every detail about the room and suddenly realize where I'm at._

_Abnegation._

_Why am I here?_

_I start to walk towards the door to leave the room, but a tall shadowy figure appears in front of me. I can't make out his face, but something about this man seems eerily familiar. _

_"Tobias!" he yells. "This is for your own good."_

_And in that moment I realize that the shadowy figure in front of me is my father._

_Marcus Eaton. _

_I back away from him in fear. I never have been afraid of much in my life, but my father is an exception. He swiftly walks towards me, closing the space between as. _

_As he gets closer to me, I feel my breathing start to increase. My heart is beating so loud and a bead of sweat drips down from my forehead._

_Marcus raises his hand to strike me and I close my eyes awaiting the pain that I've known my whole hand impacts with the side of my face and I jolt up in bed._

A dream. It was just a dream.

I realize that I was sleeping and that I am in Dauntless.

"What a lovely dream." I say to myself.

I get up and walk to the bathroom to get ready for initiate training today. Today is the final day of fighting. I hope Tris is ready.

I hope I am ready.

I finish getting dressed and skip breakfast. Instead, I head to the pit, waiting for the initiates to arrive. To my surprise, Tris is already there.. but she isn't alone. I feel a frown set upon my face as I look to see her comforting Al. I don't know why this bothers me. I'm sure she means it in the friendly Abnegation way, but it still sends a pang of jealousy through me.

I clear my throat, trying to nonchalantly make my presence known.

Tris swiftly hops up off the grown and walks over to one of the punching bags. She turns around and gives me a smile before she starts warming up for today's fights. I am tempted to smile back, but I just look at her with an expressionless face. The corners of her mouth turn down in disappointment. I immediately regret not returning the gesture. Oh well.

The other initiates start to file in behind Eric. I wait behind him as he gets ready to announce today's fights.

"Listen up! Today, the first pair of fighters to take the mat are Peter and Tris!" Eric says.

No. Oh God no.

I can see shock on the initiates' faces. I look at Eric and he meets my stare with a smirk. Is he doing this because of me?

I turn to look at Tris as her and Peter walk towards the center of the pit to fight. I can see the fear in her eyes.

"Tris, don't hesitate. Strike first. Peter steps before he punches. You can take him because you're quick." I whisper to her as she walks past me. I know that this isn't going to end well, but I can't leave her here with Eric.

I go stand next to Christina and Will as we watch, not knowing what to expect.

"You ok there stiff? You look like you want to cry." Peter says mockingly.

"You know, if you beg me, I might take it easy on you." he says.

I can feel the muscles in my jaw tense up. Eric will pay for this. He knows that this isn't a fair fight.

Peter steps and goes to throw the first punch, but Tris dodges it by jumping to the side. She throws a quick punch to his throat and it leaves Peter stunned.

"You got this Tris!" Christina and Will yell simultaneously. For a moment, I think they might be right. Peter regains focus and delivers one hard blow to Tris's stomach.

I see Tris stumble, but she quickly snaps back into her fighting stance. They circle around on the mat and then she lunges again. Tris tries to kick Peter in his side, but he predicted the movement and grabbed her foot.

The moment her threw Tris on the ground, I knew it was over. I couldn't watch it anymore.

I can't become attached to this girl because after today, she will be factionless.

I walk out of the room as I hear Eric say "Well go on Peter. Finish!"

Tris has been in the infirmary for a few days. I check up on her, telling the nurse that it's my job as her instructor to keep track of her health. The nurse nods in agreement, but deep down, I know the reason she thinks I am here. She may not be completely wrong. I don't really know the answer to that myself.

I walk into the room where Tris is and I sit down next to her bed. She is sound asleep. She has all these wires connected to her, monitoring her heart rate and breathing. I wish I could talk to her and tell her I am sorry for what Eric did, that I won't let anyone else hurt her.

I reach my hand out to touch the side of her face and as son as I do, I hear Christina and Will walk in and snap back my hand before they can see.

I turn to walk out of the door, but not before meeting Christina's curios eyes.

"Hey Four. What are you doing here?" she asks.

"Just seeing if she was awake yet so I could discuss her ranking with her." I say.

"Uh oh. Not good huh?" she asks sounding genuinely worried.

"I'll have to talk to Max, but as of now, Eric says she's done." I say. "Oh and don't forget, meet by the trains in an hour.."

I walk out of the door and head to the chasm.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter Five

I wait by the tracks with Eric, waiting for the initiates to arrive. Undeniably, he knows how infuriated I am with him for the stunt he pulled with Peter and Tris. There was never even a chance for her here in Dauntless to begin with. She should have stayed in Abnegation because I can't protect her here. Max said that Eric can decide to cut the initiates at his own discretion, but I hardly find that fair. He will keep the ones that remind him of himself, heartless and cold.

I meet his gaze and for a moment, I thought he was going to speak to me, but then the initiates started filing in. One by one, the crowd of them grows, but still no Tris. I search the crowd for her friends, curios to ask if they have an update on her. The train approaches and I could hear the tracks start to screech as it started whirring by.

Fire. All I felt was fire in my lungs as I broke into a sprint, running alongside the train. I reached out for one of the handrails and pulled myself up. The rest of the initiates followed.

"All right, everybody listen up!" I shouted. "We are going to be divided into two teams. Eric and I are the captains." I scan the crowd and a streak of blonde passes by in my line of sight. It's Tris. I thought she was cut. What is she doing here? Does Eric know?

"You each will be given a gun. A paintball gun, that is. You get shot, you're out. This is the Dauntless version of capture the flag. The first team will get off the train and be given a chance to hide, while the second team waits." Eric says. "I'll do you a favor and let you pick first Four." He says with a smirk.

I scan the room, but I already know who I want.

"I'll take the stiff." I say confidently. I look at her and her face is red. She's blushing.

"Trying to prove something, are we?" Eric asks.

"Something like that." I say. Laughter breaks out upon the train and we continue to pick from the initiates. I can't seem to take my eyes off Tris the entire time. I hope she isn't hurt. I do have a strategy behind this all. Eric will automatically go for the biggest, strongest initiates he can find. What he doesn't realize is that they will be slower, which will leave them at a disadvantage in capture the flag. I picked Tris because she is small, fast, and I just don't want her around Eric.


End file.
